Fighting in Sudan's El Gezira state threatens aid, displaces thousands

People displaced by the conflict in Sudan gather in the city of Gedaref as they attempt to get passports and exit visas after fleeing Wad Madani, the capital of El Gezira state, on 20 December 2023. © AFP

Violence in Sudan has spread to El Gezira state, southeast of the capital Khartoum, forcing more displacement and suffering as the civil war enters its ninth month.

Since the start of the war El Gezira has become a crucial hub for aid operations and a refuge for internally displaced people, with hundreds of thousands of families moving to Wad Madani, Sudan's second city.